Former Harlem Animal Care And Control Staffer Emily Tanen: Bringing Pet To Shelter A Death Sentence

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NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A former staffer at the East Harlem Animal Care and Control shelter says it’s nothing more than a kill center.

Emily Tanen says she was let go from the shelter at 326 East 110th Street for being a whistleblower.

“These animals are not being walked, sometimes emaciated dogs that should be eating three times a day aren’t being fed three times a day,” said Tanen. “It’s not like a fancy boarding place where they’re being taken care of and hopefully be adopted.”

She says the shelter takes in more dogs and cats than they can adopt out, so the shelter would make up excuses to kill animals.

“So if you’re not going to adopt it and it’s not going to a rescue, then we have to kill it,” said Tanen. “We can’t kill for space, so we have to use another word, disease or temper.”

Tanen says officials have raised the standard for acceptable temperament to kill more dogs. She says others are killed for easily curable and common diseases like kennel cough.

AC&C executive director Julie Bank responded to Tanen’s claims. She told 1010 WINS, “Euthanasia is not acceptable, but is sometimes an inevitable alternative. It does exist, but we go through extraordinary lengths to avoid euthanasia. Some are put down because that is determined to be the best course of action to control the spread of disease in the shelter.”

Bank said the best alternative is adopt animals out, but the shelter needs more resources and more volunteers. She said pet homelessness is a massive problem in the city and their budget was slashed by nearly 20 percent.

Bank also called Tanen “disgruntled,” but wouldn’t elaborate on why Tanen was terminated.